News

Because the media like nothing so much as actual news, Balcony writes press releases that look and read like real news stories. All of our senior people have worked extensively as journalists, which is why so much of what you’ll read below reads like actual travel writing.

News

Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc, a 514-room property overlooking the northern stretch of Vietnam’s most compelling beach, Bai Dai, is opening its doors tomorrow, August 15, as part of an unprecedented integrated resort on the nation's biggest island.
Situated on Phu Quoc island’s picturesque northwest coast, Vietnam's first Radisson Blu Resort heralds a new era for the Radisson Hotel Group.
The group will soon also launch Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh Bay and Radisson Phu Quoc Resort, a separate 218-room four-star resort on Truong beach, in addition to pursuing development opportunities in other Vietnamese destinations.

CAM RANH, Vietnam – With travelers the world over tired of yet another stop at a museum, another duck boat tour, or another selfie by a landmark, one resort on Vietnam’s pristine southern coastline is greasing the wheels on a journey into the depths of a typical Vietnamese day.
More than a visit, travelers embarked on The Anam’s new ‘A Day in the Life’ experience embed themselves into the warp of a Vietnamese family from the neighbouring countryside that’s been matched to their own profile.
Anchored by the preparation of a delectable feast at the Vietnamese family’s home, the day-long experience kicks off with fresh Banh Mi baguettes for breakfast at the host family’s favorite local bakery. The two families then continue to get to know each other over traditional Vietnamese iced coffee at the hosts’ regular café.

HANOI – The Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam is a time for families to bond, celebrate and to create memories with traditions that have been passed down through generations. This year, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi unveils a beautiful mooncake gift box featuring nostalgic drawings by the award-winning Vietnamese graphic novelist and illustrator, Nguyen Thanh Phong.
Designed to conjure up the halcyon days of childhood, each red and white mooncake box is adorned with intricate sketches. From children parading the streets holding paper lanterns to Vietnamese kids performing a lion dance, Nguyen captures the spirit of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday with a narrative portrait inspired by his own childhood memories.

SINGAPORE – Louis T Collection has named Robert C. Hauck general manager of the iconic Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Area Vice President for South Asia. In this new role, Hauck will oversee the operations of the legendary, 156-room historic seafront property in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, while supporting growth objectives and driving operational excellence for Louis T as it accelerates its strategic expansion in South Asia.
“Robert is an exceptional hotelier with a career that has spanned some of the world’s top luxury hotels and brands”, said Mikael Svensson, senior vice president of Louis T Collection. “I am confident that he will take the legendary Galle Face to a new level, and his demonstrated success in hotel openings, turnarounds and developing new hospitality concepts will be critical as we strategically drive our growth.”

A seasoned hospitality professional with over 25 years of experience in Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand has been appointed as Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc's director of commercial.
In her new role, Myla Caceres will oversee sales, marketing, reservations and revenue at the soon-to-open resort on Phu Quoc's northwest coast.
Before joining the property's pre-opening team, Manila-born Caceres worked as Ascott International Group’s Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing in Thailand, overseeing 11 properties.

TOKYO – One of Tokyo’s most lauded hotels is raising a glass to the country’s national beverage this fall with ‘Brewing Tokyo,’ a stay package inspired by sake. In celebration of World Sake Day on October 1 and offered only during the autumn season, Palace Hotel Tokyo has concocted an array of experiences ideal for lovers of a good tipple, including sake-themed cocktails, a travel kit of beauty products infused with the Japanese rice wine, a private tour of the esteemed brewery and a Hakkaisan-inspired afternoon tea.
At the core of the offering is Hakkaisan’s 1-1-1 sake, brewed exclusively for the hotel and named after Palace Hotel Tokyo’s prestigious address at 1-1-1 Marunouchi. While in residence, guests can enjoy a tasting of two sake-based cocktails at Royal Bar, a legendary enclave helmed by a Diageo World Class bartender. The first, Usumomiji, is inspired by the autumn leaves of Mt. Hakkai, the setting of the premium brewery, and is made of an airy blend of 1-1-1 sake and plum wine (both produced by Hakkaisan) as well as cassis syrup. The second, Tsumugi or 'spin' in English, presents a creamy and refreshing mix of the signature sake, amazake (sweet sake), fresh cream and advocaat liqueur.

KOH SAMUI, Thailand — Banyan Tree Samui has become the first and only hotel in Thailand to be awarded “Gold Certification” at a single-property level by Earthcheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism.
Although other hotel chains have received similar accolades from EarthCheck at a group level, Banyan Tree Samui stands alone as the sole property in Thailand to be recognized at a resort level. The award was announced July 1.
According to Zoe Ma, EarthCheck’s corporate relations manager, the award “recognizes five years of continuous commitment and effort to achieve sustainability by the resort.”

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — David Smallwood, an English therapist and counsellor with more than 20 years’ experience, has joined The Dawn Medical Rehab and Wellness Center in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, as the facility’s new clinical director.
“We are delighted to welcome David to the team,” said The Dawn’s founder Ohm Poolsawaddi. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and passion, which will only help improve and expand our trauma and addiction programmes.
“His experience across the spectrum of treatment facilities gives him an inclusive approach, with a belief that everyone needs their own recovery without a ‘one size fits all’ modality. He believes that The Dawn is the ideal size with the right mix of treatments to achieve this.”

SINGAPORE - General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM) has announced Sept. 1, 2018 as the opening date of Al Bait Sharjah, a 53-key property that celebrates the heritage of Arabia and that will stand as GHM’s second property on the peninsula after the award-winning Chedi Muscat.
Developed in partnership with Shurooq (the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority), Al Bait Sharjah is making its debut with a refined level of luxury, sophistication and personalised service never experienced before in the Emirate.
As a critical building block in the region’s biggest restoration project, known as ‘Heart of Sharjah’, the opening of Al Bait is a keystone in the re-establishment of Sharjah as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. Paying homage to traditional Sharjah architecture, the heritage resort is rooted to the restored foundations of vintage homes that once belonged to noted Emirati families.

PHU QUOC, Vietnam — Phu Quoc’s only all-spa inclusive resort, Fusion Resort Phu Quoc, is celebrating its first birthday by cutting the ribbon on new villas, new spa treatment rooms, an elegant function space, and an action-packed kids club, while guests enjoy additional summer savings.
Opened last June with 97 private pool villas, the five-star property has added eight new villas to its collection with 25 more to follow. The thatched roof abodes, a nod to coastal living, start at a spacious 128 square meters (1,378 square feet) and are one- or two-bedroom with verdant views of the neighboring river and jungle. Interiors feature a natural color scheme with earthy tones and custom-made sunken wooden tubs. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors lead to private walled gardens, plunge pools, and floating hammocks.